It has been with a lot of soul-searching, a lot of intro­spection, a lot of consideration, that I finally settled to bring back this column, which has always been, during its heyday, an interactive forum for television viewers.

At the height of its popularity, this column was highly followed, critiqued, and was used as a useful guide on what to watch and what not to watch on tele­vision.
But then, ZTV became mundane, so writing the col­umn also followed the same routine, such that at the end of the day, it was almost difficult to find something worth complimenting on the local television station. Given our relationship with ZBC/ZTV, it was always going to be dif­ficult to continue in that direction.
However, there have been a lot of developments on our airwaves, especially the licensing of two radio sta­tions, private and commercial (it is interesting that one calls itself the first commercial radio and the other the first pri­vately owned radio station) and this has made life a bit easier for me. Which means it is now easier to incorpo­rate radio and television, under one banner. Restricting myself to television reviews and previews was going to limit me mostly to DStv channels, and at the end of the day it was going to be like a DStv Review Column.

We kick off this time with a largely expected clash between Zimbabwe and Angola at Rufaro Stadium, a game that is likely to draw a full house. Going by prece­dent, the game is likely to be screened live on national tel­evision, making it possible for those in Hwange, Plumtree, Nyanga, Mutorashanga, in fact all around the country, signal permitting, to see how reformed the War­riors are, in their quest to reach the next Afcon tourna­ment. The game kicks of at 3pm.

Still on football matters, the good news (though one has to be connected to the DStv platform) is that the local Premiership is set to be screened on Supersport (Lad­uma!), which should be a very exciting develop­ment. Honestly, given the interest that is swirling around the title race and that I have not been able to attend local matches of late, I welcome the imminent screening of local football matches, like many other Zimbabweans in the country and abroad.

We have read and heard about the exploits of Denver Mukamba, about the unstoppable Highlanders, but truth is we have not been able to watch all the action, even highlights. And not because we cannot afford to, but because we cannot be there. The trial runs that were run last year were for the Mbada Diamond Cup and what a difference there was between Supersport’s coverage and ZTV’s one-angle coverage of the War­riors’ match against Mali!

Hopefully the deal will include all the cup matches that fall under the ambit of the local Premier Soccer League. What should be more exciting for the local game is that the matches will be broadcast through a triad of platforms, notably mobile, internet and television, as DStv moves to posi­tion itself as a market leader.
On October 1, DStv will move around its channels, resulting in a new numbering sequence. If you are a sporting junkie, the good news is that sports channels will remain where they are, so will the news

and kids enter­tainment channels. The worst affected are the gen­eral entertainment channels, which will see most of them tak­ing up new names, as DStv seeks to align its movie chan­nels to different tastes.

For instance, there will be M-Net Movies Premiere, where new films will be screened first. Currently that slot is held on Sunday evenings on M-Net (Channel 101). Tonight will see the premiere of Crazy, Stupid, Love on M-Net at 8pm. The movie was released to the United States screens in July and barely two months later, it is on the small screen.
A rom-com (romantic comedy), Crazy, Stupid, Love is the story of a 40-something who thought he had every­thing perfect in his life: perfect job, perfect family and perfect wife. Until he discovered that his wife was cheat­ing on him.

After October 1, after a movie premiere on Channel 103 (Movies Premiere) thereafter it will move to its proper channel. Crazy, Stupid, Love, for instance, will move to Channel 104 (Movies Comedy). The other M-Net Movies channels will be Movies Family, Movies Action+, Movies Drama and Romance, Movies Action, Movies Stars and Movies Showcase.
As we move towards October 1, the migration date, will be discovering more of the changed channel and their numbers.

Those of an older generation must be feeling really nostalgic with the coming back of Dallas — honestly     who would forget JR and compan? In the 1980 and to an extent ’90s, Dallas and Dynasty (whilst Desperate House­wives were being born!) were the series to sit down to. And back in the day there was no power cut, neither                   was there the PVR (personal video recorder),  so you had to rush home to watch the Ewing family embroil them­selves in deceit, back-stabbing, all driven by an ambition to push the family name.

Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray star as JR, Bobby and Sue Ellen Ewing, but they are joined by a next generation of Ewings, who drive the story line for­ward and take ambition and deception to a whole new level. The additions to the Dallas cast are familiar faces who will ensure that TV’s quintessential water-cooler series is as hot as it was way back. Catch it on Tuesday at 9pm on M-Net.
On to radio, a real battle of the airwaves is on, if the tone and language being used on the different stations is anything to go by. You just have to listen to any of the different stations, especially the flagship breakfast, lunch time and drive time shows, to get an appreciation of what competition can do to broadcasting. But the most interest­ing debate is this: which breakfast show is the most kicking, of the six stations in the country? You can join the debate on my Facebook account.

On a lighter note, I learnt that most ex-Japanese vehi­cles have radios whose FM frequencies don’t go beyond 90, so by default, especially those listening in Harare, have to listen to StarFM, whether they like it or not!

Still on frequencies,  the  responsible authorities, and this should be Transmedia, must ensure that the whole country receives the new radio stations. Harare is not Zimbabwe. When we travel out of Harare, we should continue listening to the stations of our choice, that is what the “opening up of the airwaves” should mean. And equally, they should ensure that radio and TV sig­nals are received in every corner of the country.

• Garikai.mazara@zimpapers.co.zw, Facebook or Twitter @gmazara